Steam flow regulation



' Dec. 6, 1932.

V. F. DAViS STEAM FLOW REGULATION Filed Dec.

2 Sheets-Shejt 1 Fgl.

INVENTOR: Vwvvw; 13W 7 WN 81W 4 ATTORNEYS,

Dec. 6, 1932. v. F. DAViS STEAM FLOW REGULATION Filed Dec. 5. 1930 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR:

WZ/wvq KM ATTORNEYS,

' stantially constant pressure,

Patented Dec. 6, 1932 UNITED STA TB PATENT 'FH TE VERNER r. DAVIS, orwaste ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, Ass'renoa- 'ro ATLAS VALVE COMPANY, ornnwanreimw JERSEY, e CORPORATION or new JnasnY STEAM FLOW REGULATIONApplicationfiledDecember 5, 1930. 7 Serial No. 500,28fl;

This invention relates to steam flow regulation and has reference moreparticul a system or apparatus arly to comprising valves and regulatingmeans so combined and inter-related as to give the regulation of steamflow which is the purpose of the invention.

is desired to be delivered or used at fluctuations are likely to occur,

a suband wherein I whether because of variations indemand or because thesteam supply comprises a fluctuating low pressure source,

and wherein a second of steam is available having pressure'substantiallyhigher than the constant pressure required for the chemical or other proapparatus in to be utilized or consumed. is supplemental-to a power. orother wherein a turbine or other engine or cess or which the deliveredsteam is A particular use plant,

ratus delivers exhaust or back pressure steam in limited quantities andat relatively low but possibly fluctuating pressure,

and wherein the initlal source of steam or boiler 1s available forfortitying the exhaust steam pressure r'or the purposes of theinvention.

The general object of the invention fore is to permit the continuous andtheresteady supply and utilization of exhaust or other low pressuresteam at a substantially constant pressure for the standing fluctuationsdemand. ford the desired regulation through purposes in hand notwithinrate or supply or A more particular object is to atme ans of acontrolled connection to the atmosphere and a controlled connection froma pressure source, such connectlons may higher so that one or the otherof be operated, as the delivered pressure varies or tends to vary, torestore or maintain it at the desired, constant ressure. A furtherobyect 1S to afford such control from the lowpressure passage or mainitself as it dehvers to the pointer consumptiomand to operate thecontrol means in a cooperative manner to avoid the possibility at an ytime of simultaneously opening the connection both to the atmosphere andfrom th 6 high ally less than the sired pressure.

tion will be pointed out in the hereinafter'following description or oneor more embodie 5 ments of the invention or will be understood by thoseconversantwith the'subj ectQ-To the attainment of suchobjects andadvantages the invention consists in the novel steam flow regulationapparatus and the novel features of operation, combination, arrangementand construction herein described or illustrated. In the accompanyingdrawings Figure .1 is a general diagrammatic assembly view 0t thecombined apparatus, which may becon: sidered as t'aken'in elevationview. I

Figs. 2, 3 and 4, on a larger scale, are ce'ne tral sectional views ofcertain or the regulating and valve parts of the apparatus' e Inreferring to .steam itis to be under stood that the principles may beavailable for the regulation of flow of any fluid, especially any gasorvapor; and in referring to water 'nthe regulating or hydraulic parts ofthe apparatus it is to be understood that any liquid is intended'to becovered, and where in the claims'reierence to water or' liquid isomitted it is intended to cover, other regulating means or connectionsadapted to an'equivalent purpose. In using the term passage or flowconnection. By exhausting or escaping to the atmosphere, is included anypointwhereat the pressure is substantidesired low pressure, and it maybe subatmosphericpressure.

As a typical mstance a boiler at about 100" pounds per square 1I1Cl1pressure may be. op erating turb nes or eng nes d schargingxexhauststeam, at a pressure of about 5 pounds,

but ossibly varying between 3 and 7 pounds,

and 1t maybe desired to utilize the discharged steam for process or forheating or other pur-. poses, involving possible extensive fluctua-ftionsin demand, at say 4; pounds delivered pr'essur. The presentinvention will easily accomplish this object'with such uniformity ofdelivered pressure as to avoid variations of more than pound aboveorbelow the de- The exhaust steam therefor and resulting in increasedefliciency.

The diagram Fig. 1 of the drawings shows a source of low pressure in theform of a pipe or back pressure main 10, leading for example from theexhaust of a'turbine or other engine. The pipe is shown leading to afitting or T 11, which will be referred to later, and this in turndelivers toa fitting or ferred to as a relief valve,

T 12,from the first outlet of which extends the delivery or final outputpipe 13 which conducts the low pressure steam to the place ofconsumption. The low pressure pipes 10 and 13 are substantially acontinuous passage, and carry steam which is subject to pos siblefluctuations in flow and pressure due to variations in supply or demand.Beyond the second outlet of the fitting 12 is shown .a valve 14 whichmay take part in the control of the steam pressure delivered to theoutgoing main 13, namely by letting oil or relieving excess pressure atproper times. The control valve 14 will behereinafter reand when open itdischarges regulatedquantities of steam to an escape or waste pipe'15whichmay deliver directlyto atmosphere or other low pressure point. 7 v

The diagram shows also a source of high pressuresteam in the form of apipe or main 18 leading for example from a boiler. This highpressuremain is shown'as supplying live steam through a control valve 19to a connection or pipe 20 extending to the lateral inlet of the fitting1l,"so that steam passing through'valve 19 is admitted to the backpressure main 10 and thence to the delivery main 13. The control valve19 is intended to be operated at times of deficient pressure in thedelivery main, being controlled to admit suitable quantities of highpressure steam to make up the deficiency and bring the deliveredpressure to the desired constant pressure, and it will be referred to asa make-up valve. 7 p

We thus have two incoming mains or pipes 10 and 18, one carrying lo wa'nd the other high pressure, and two outgoing mains or pipes 13 and 15,one delivering low pressure to the point of consumption and the otherdischarging to atmosphere, the low pressure mains l0 and 13 beingpreferably permanently connected'for continuousflfio'w, while the highpressure main and theescape' pipe respectively areicontrolled by themake-up valve 19 and relief valve 14, which two valves 19 inopencondition, corresponding with the positions shown in Fig. 1, on theassumption that the delivery pressure is for the moment deficient.

Each of the two control valves 14 and 19 may have substantially. thefollowing constructionas'shown in Figs. 2 and 3. A valve seat 22 isshown'as formed in an interior wall. Opposite to the valve seat is showna movable disk or gate'2 3, closed in valve 14 and Fig. 2 and open invalve 19' and Fig. 3. This disk is carried on a'sliding stem 24 whichextends through the valve stuffing box to anexterior point and thencethrough the upper frame of the valve towhere it carries an enlarged head25, shown of mushroom form. A valve spring 26 presses against a fixedpart of the valve casing and against the mushroom head of the stem, thustending to'open the valve. A diaphragm 27 is shown'bearing on the head25 and arranged to receive pressure tending to close the valve inopposition to, the spring. The diaphragm is peripherally clamped by thestationary parts of the valve, which enclose above the diaphragm achamber 28, the inlet to which is by a nipple 29 at thetop of thecasing- When sufiicient hydraulic or other pressure is admitted throughthe nipple 29 this can act upon the diaphragm in a well known manner toeffect a closing of the valve to a greater or less extent. I

What may be termed a lator, and which may be at a remote point fromthe-valves l4 and 19, comprises a first unit 31and a second unit 32shown in ex terior vicwin Fig. 1. Theseare preferably fluid operated anda supply pipe 33 isshown conducting fluid under a convenient head to theinlets of the two units, for example city water pressure, used as amotive force. Hydraulic or water pressure is the illustrated means ofcommunicating regulating movements to the control valves, and thediafigure, and vice 1 compound reguliii 7 the valves 14 and 19 may beopen partly "01- fully, or both may be tight closed at the same time,but so that it is impossible that both of them may be open at the sametime, which would tend to result in a wasteful flow of high pressuresteam through both valves to the atmosphere. v V The units 31 and 32 ofthe compound regulator are in the nature of relays or pilot valves ordevices, and each may have a construction as follows. Each consists of acasing enclosing a primary or upper chamber 37 and a secondary or lowerchamber38with an opening and valve seat 39 extending from the primary tothe secondary chamber. A movable valve, disk or cone 40 is shownadapted-to close the seat 39 or to retract and open communicationbetween the chambers. This valve is shown as comprising a longitudinallyslidable stem 41, the lower. end of which slides within the bottom wallof the casingand projects to an exterior point. Each stem is formedwithan interior passage connecting the secondary chamber with an exteriorpoint, for allowing fluid escape and relieving the pressure in thechamber and the connecting pipe 34 or 35. Each valve member 40 is shownas provided with a spring 43 tending to close the valve or.

relay, while. the means for opening'or lifting the valve against thespring for admitting water pressure to the secondary chamber serves alsoto close the exterior rehef exit or the valve stem. From the inlet pointof water pipe 33 to each relay unit'is a passage-44 lead ing up to theprimary chamber '37. When therefore the valve member is lifted the wateris admitted through the chambers to the pipe 34 or 35; when it islowered fully the water is cut off, and when the stem passage is openedthe pressure in 34 or 35 is relieved.

For actuating the two relay orpilot devices is shown a pressureresponsive means operating through a. device or lever 45 representativeof a. mechanical connection to the devices. It is shown asfulcrumed at amiddle point 46, with weights 47 tending to lower" the outer or rightend, and adjusting weights 48 slidable to set the action.

In fixed guides 50 are movable pins'51 and 52 for the relay units 31 and32 respectively, each actuated by the lever '45 andoperating the valvemembers 40. 7 Each pin is adapted toclose its relay valve reliefpassage42 be fore lifting and opening the valve,and vice versa, forexample by its conical point entering the passage as it lifts. The twoactuating pins and levers are so arranged'that in a mid position bothpins will be holdingboth relay valves partly lifted and open andhold ingthe relief passages closed, so that both control valves 14 and 1.9 willreceive water pressure and be closed; while a shift of the actuatinglever in either direction will drop one pin and lift the other, thusclosing and relieving the pressure in one of the pipes34 or 35 andallowing the corresponding control valve 14 or 19 to open,'and viceversa. Fig.

4 shows in full lines the lever swung to extreme position, for closingthe relay valve 31, and opening its relief 4:2 to allow the opening ofmake-up valve 19, whilethe dotted lines show the mid position, in whichboth relay valves 31 and 32 Willbe partly'open and both control valves14 and .19 wholly closed. 1 I

The pressure responsive devices may be as follows. The lever 45, at thesame end as the unit 32, has a swivel connection 54 to a head 55cooperating with adiaphragm 56 at the upper side of a chamber 57 formedin the fixed frame, with inlet nipple 58. A pipe 59 ex-:

The pipe 59 may contain a gage 60 showing the pressure, and a blow off61'for removing sediment. the units 31 and 32 maybe directed to anddrained by a drain pipe'63; j 3

A modification of the above described struc- The waste water relievedfrom ture which has been successfully employed consists in replacing thecontrolvalves 14 and 19, or one of them with a different type of steamvalve having b'alancedpressures on the movable parts and being thus morereadily and accurately adjusted in the case of higher pressures. In suchcasethe transmission of control from the units orrelays 31 and 32 maycomprise'mechanical as distinguished' from hydraulic transmitting means.For example, taking the unit or relay 31, the water delivered from it,instead of passing directly to the control valve 14, may

der,w ithin which moves; apistonhaving a relatively large stem extendingthrough a stufiingboxat the upper end, and the stem connected by cablewith the accessible part of the control valve.

normal water'pressure at the top of the pis- V V B'yQthis arrangementwhen-the, relay or. pilot valve 31 isopem ton will force the piston downand thus open the control valve. In connection with this arrangementthere may be an automatically shiftable weight. on the lever 45,arranged to be shifted by the lifting of the piston to move the weightoutward or toward the right end, i

and vice versa, giving a more sensitive action and controlled leverposit on.

The operation of the inventi restated as follows. If and when the backpressure from main'lO happens to be correct for the purposes ofconsumption, the dia-.

. on has been indicated above, but may advantageously be 105 be passedto the lower end of a vertical cylin a yond'mid position closesthe'relay 31 and opens the relief 42below it.

beyond phragm 56 will operate to maintain the lever 45 in mid or neutralposition.- In this position both of the relays 31 and 32 are partlyopen, and their relief passages 42 of course closed by pins 51.Therefore pressure will be communicated to both control valves 14 and19and they will both be held closed, so that there is no modification ofthe pressure passing from main 10 t0 the delivery main 13.

When, for example, the back pressure however is deficient, due to excessdemand or otherwise, the pressure must be built up. The outer or rightend of the lever will be allowed to descend," due to the reducedpressure under the diaphragm, thus closing the relay 32 and more widelyopening the relay 31 and at the same time opening the relief passage 42below the relay32. Immediately the make-up valve '19 will commence toopen, and the pressure will commence to build up. As soon as the desiredpressure is restored,

which may be during the readjustment, the

diaphragm will restore the lever to or slightly mid position, and thewater will be trapped in the pipe 35, and the make-up valve 19 will beheld in'the adjustment reached by it. If the additional steam thussupplied constitutes the desired correction the parts may remainindefinitely in such position. This adjustment however may be onlymomentary, in case the tendency is to build the pressure up beyond thedesired amount. 7

In a sense there is a lap action by which any adjustment may be held bythe water trapped in the pipes leading to the control valves for anappreciable time. Thus, as a change of controlled pressure causes theright end of the lever 45 to rise from the posiion shown, the pin 52will reach thestem'41 and close the passage 42 before reaching its midposition. resistanceof the valve 40 to lifting, so that only after thisis overcome will the parts rise further. On the reverse adjustment there-' verse action of course takes place, and during the lap period thewater in-pipe 35 istrapped, and holds the control valve 19 in its thenadjusted condition, until a further-change is required. I I

As soon asth'e steam pressure rises above the desired pressure, due tothe supply eX- eeeding the demand for steam, the lever will be shiftedbeyond its mid position by the further lifting of the diaphragm. It willbe observed that the lap is quite small, so that if the lever has to beshifted from one extreme position'to the other, the readjustments of thevalves 14and 19 will follow each other quite closely; there will be nosubstantial time interval, and the delivered pressure can be held quiteclosely to -th'ej desired amount. The lowering of the left end of thelever be- As a consequence the relief control-valve 14 is opened,

pipe 34 and hold the Thereafter it encounters the the make-up valve 19having already been closed, and theexcess pressure is discharged to theatmosphere, until the correct pressure is restored. As before, therestoring of the lever to mid position may trap the water in reliefvalve 14 in a partly open condition, thus-continuously relievingtheexcess pressure, as long as the supply and' demand conditionsremain thesame.

In any reversalof adjustment the lever must pass through its mid orneutral adjustment, wherein both of the relay valves are open,-both oftheir relief passages closed and therefore both of the control valves 14and 19 maintained closed.

Obviously a reversal might be made wherein the passing of regulatingfluid by each relay valve would. effect the opening instead oftheclosing of the corresponding control valve, in which case the neutral ormid position of the actuator would be such that both relay valves wouldbe closed, and both relief passages open, to discharge the regulatingfluid, and thereby permit the closing of both control valves. It ispreferable however to have the control valves self opening and onlyclose them by the passing of the regulating fluid. l The regulatingfluid is preferably a liquid or water rather than an elastic fluid suchas steam, since hydraulic regulation permits the actuator withoutopening its relief passage, thereby trapping the liquid and holding thecontrol valve, for example in a slightly open position for an indefinitetime if this happens to result 1n the correct delivered steam pressure.

There has thus been described a steam flow regulation apparatusaccomplishing the ob to close one relay valve,-

principles, it is not intended to limit the invention to such mattersexcept so faras set forth in the appended claims.

hat is claimed is: h

1. In steam flow regulation apparatus for delivering at substantiallyconstant low pressure, the combination of a low pressure sup plypassage, a low pressure delivery passage connected therewith, a highpressure passage .withcontrol make-up valve adapted to discharge intoone of said low pressure passages, a relief passage with control reliefvalve adapted to discharge from one of said low pressure passages, andautomatic regulating means for said control valves, comprising a firstdevice for opening and closing the relief valve and looking it closed, asecond device for closing and opening the make-up valve,'a pressureresponsive actuator operated by variations of delivered pressure betweena. neutral position and to positions at opposite sides thereof, and.connections from (a; sacsaid actuator to both of said devices whereby inneutral position it adjusts both devices to close and lock both controlvalves, but in one side position corresponding to'deficient deliveredpressure it adjusts said devices to open the make-up valve and close therelief valve, while in the other side position corresponding to excessdelivered pressure it adjusts said devices to close the make-up valveand open the relief valve.

2. In steam flow regulation apparatus for delivering at substantiallyconstant low pressure, the combination of a low pressure supply passage,a low pressure delivery passage, a high pressure passage with controlmakeup valve adapted to discharge into one of said low pressurepassages, a relief passage with control relief valve adapted todischarge from one of said low pressure passages, and

regulating means for said control valves, comprising a regulating fluidsource, afirst relay fluid valve connected with said source for allowingfluid to pass for reversing the setting of the relief valve, and with arelief between different positions by variations of delivered pressure,and operating to open the first fluid valve and close the second whenthe delivered pressure becomes deficient, and

to close the first fluid valve and open the second when the deliveredpressure becomes excessive.

5. Apparatus as in claim 4 and wherein the actuator has a mid or neutralposition wherein both fluid valves are open and therefore both controlvalves are closed.

In testimony whereof, this specification has been duly signed by:

VERNER F. DAVIS.

passage opened when the relay valve is closed, a

a second relay fluid valve connected with said source for allowing fluidto pass for reversing the setting of the make-up valve, and with arelief passage-opened when the relay valve is closed, and a pressureresponsive actuator shiftable between a neutral and opposite sidepositions by variations of delivered pressure, and operating to actuateboth of said relay valves in a manner to open one of them and close theother when the deliv ered pressure becomes deficient, and to reverse thepositions when the delivered pres-V sure becomes excessive, and to lockboth relay valves closed when in neutral position.

3. Apparatus as in claim 2 and wherein the actuator has a mid positionwherein both relays are in positions to close both control valves.

4. In steam flow regulation apparatus for delivering at substantiallyconstant low pres sure, the combination of a low pressure supplypassage, a low pressure'delivery passage, a high pressure passage with aself-opening control make-up valve adapted to discharge into one of saidlow pressure passages, a relief passage with a self-opening controlrelief valve adapted to discharge from one of said low pressurepassages, and regulating means for said control valves, comprising aregulating fluid source, a first fluid valve connected with said sourceand adapted when open to pass fluid for causing the closing of therelief valve, a second fluid valve connected with said source andadapted when open to pass fluid for causing the closing of the make-upvalve, a relief passage associated with each of said fluid valves andadapted to relieve the fluid when the fluid valve is closed to'permitthe control valve to open, and a pressure responsive actuator shiftable

